[sarcasm]

The next few weeks could be very productive for the United States, the Israelis, and the Palestinians. Abbas's trial in an American court is simply not worthy of disrupting that process.

Yep, appeasement always works.

[MEG33]

We must not offend the terrorists..heaven forbid.

[Hugin]

Send him to Gitmo for a military tribunal. Show 'em we are serious about all terrorism.

[Ronin]

Personally, this works for me. Abbas will be in prison the rest of his life. Five life terms. Prison is prison. Why not throw the Italians a bone here?

After all it was an Italian ship. The conviction is on record. We can hold out long enough to make sure it is stipulated by the Italians that the sentences will not run concurrently and the trial in the states WOULD open a major can of worms.

Let the Italian government feed him for the rest of his miserable life behind bars. We have plenty of other pasta on our plate.

[Junior]

Didn't Italy allow this guy to escape once before?

[Jim Noble]

Not every terrorist is of primary import to the United States, and Abbas is no bin Laden. This may sound disrespectful to the memory of Klinghoffer, but the United States must balance Abbas's conviction against other important national security matters.

Oh, I think punishing the killers of Americans is a pretty important national security matter...

[DonQ]

The Italians already had him in their grasp and let him go ... reportedly because they were afraid of other acts of terrorism, such as hostage-taking, to get him free. So entrusting him again to the Italians means that he'll be in Italian custody only until the Arabs somewhere seize an Italian hostage.

Better to lock him up in the US for the entire duration of the sentence handed out in Italy (if not for putting him on trial for additional offenses, with a sentence to be additional to the one already issued by Italy).

[gridlock]

Doesn't punishment and retribution have a legitimate function in society? The Boston Globe seems to think that the only purpose of jailing somebody is to keep him from offending again.

BTW, if the Italians jail Abbas, he will be back on the street within five years. Guaranteed.

[ThanhPhero]

I think it might be best for all if Mr. Abbas should be allowed to suffer a quiet heart attack soon.